The present invention relates to a balance with a balance housing and an operator console, where the console is movably connected to the housing through a pivot arrangement. The pivot arrangement includes a pair of support arms projecting forward from the balance housing. The support arms have pivot pegs that are engaged in rimmed openings or bearings of the operator console, so that the pivot pegs define a transverse tilt axis substantially parallel to the balance housing. Being hinged on the transverse tilt axis, the operator console can be folded up from a horizontally projecting work position into a substantially vertical rest position. The pivot arrangement has a certain amount of loose play in at least one radial direction. A balance meeting the foregoing description corresponds to the German patent application DE 198 58 625.6, whose content shall be considered as incorporated herein by reference. As described in the referenced German patent application, a balance of the kind outlined above has numerous advantages.
The present invention has the object of adding further advantageous features to a balance meeting the description given in the preceding paragraph.
First among the additional advantageous features, the operator console in a balance of the present invention has its own tilt-angle adjusting device, which allows the operator console to be tilted about a second transverse horizontal axis that is located in the forward portion of the operator console. Associated with the tilt-angle adjusting device is a locking device by which the angular position of the operator console in relation to the second transverse horizontal axis can be locked selectively in one of at least two different tilt-angle positions.
The present invention takes advantage of the fact that the pivotable connection with loose play or clearance play of the aforementioned earlier German patent application offers the possibility of providing the operator console with an added degree of mobility, so that the top surface of the operator console can be tilted about a transverse axis in order to optimize the viewing angle according to the height and relative eye position of a person looking at the display and operating elements on the operator console.
In principle, a multitude of diverse design concepts can be used to provide the tilt adjustment of the operator console about the transverse axis. For example, one might consider a spindle mechanism driven by a small motor. However, it has proven to be preferable if the operator console has its own tilt-angle adjusting device by which a part of the operator console can be tilted about a secondary transverse axis that is located in the forward portion of the operator console. Because the tilt-adjustable part of the console is exposed to forces, e.g., when keys on the console are pressed by an operator, the tilt-angle adjusting device includes a tilt-angle locking device by which the angular position of the operator console can be locked selectively in one of at least two different tilt-angle positions. As a further preferred feature, the tilt-angle adjusting device can include a force-biasing element that exerts a biasing force against the tilt-adjustable part, urging the latter in a predetermined tilt direction relative to the secondary transverse axis.
The tilt-angle locking device could be designed, e.g., with a clamping screw or a latching device. However, an arrangement is favored in which the tilt-angle locking device works as an elastically biased detent device that cooperates with at least one corresponding detent stop of the operator console, because this arrangement has proven to be easier to use for the operator.
It will be appreciated that the mobility of the operator console in relation to the balance housing makes it more difficult to electrically connect the console to the housing through a cable. A further developed concept of the invention solves this problem by providing a length-adapting device for the cable, by which the effective cable length can be adjusted to the position of the operator console.
The length-adapting device could be a spring-biased coil drum for the cable, but in the preferred design the length-adapting device has one or more cable guides in a cable housing, where the cable can be dressed around the cable guides in a loop of selectable length. The loop arrangement requires less space than other possible concepts of the length-adapting device.
In advantageous configurations, the cable housing is part of the operator console, located at the underside or possibly in the left or right end portion of the operator console. This arrangement is preferred over an alternative solution of incorporating the cable housing in the balance housing, because with the latter alternative the balance would have to be leveled again after each access to the cable housing.
Further details of the invention are presented in the following description of a preferred embodiment as shown schematically in the drawing.